Summer Texas Bride

by Katie Lane

  “I’ve loved helping her. And Gracie. And Joanna. But I need to get back and help Autumn.”

  Dirk heaped some more straw into the stall. “Speaking of Autumn, I ran into Winnie Crawley the other day and she asked me if Autumn was planning her wedding yet. Is Autumn dating someone I don’t know about?”

  Summer had hoped that the gossip Winnie had spread around town would have died down once Ryker left. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. And there was no need to come clean now that she wasn’t pregnant. She shrugged innocently. “Not that I know of. Maybe she just thinks that after Spring got married, it’s Autumn’s turn.”

  Dirk shook his head. “That girl is as crazy as they come.”

  “Who’s crazy?” Gracie walked into the barn with a chain of toddling triplets. Dirk immediately dropped the pitchfork and went over to greet his family. “Hey, beautiful ladies. Were you missing your daddy?” He scooped all three babies into his arms and gave them kisses until his daughters giggled with glee.

  Gracie smiled. “Actually, we were. These little imps refuse to take a nap. And I was hoping you’d read to them. No one reads a naptime story like Daddy.”

  “Then let’s get to reading.” Dirk headed for the door but stopped before he reached it and glanced back at Summer. “You coming, Bride of Frankenstein?”

  “Very funny. And no, I’m not coming. I need to get back to my own babies.”

  “Give Sherlock and Watson a good head scratch from their Uncle Dirk. And call me when Spring and Waylon get in.” Dirk led his family out the door.

  Summer stopped by the grocery mart on the way home and picked up some groceries. She didn’t want Waylon and Spring coming home to bare cupboards. When she got back to the house, she put away the groceries and fed Sherlock and Watson their afternoon meal. Then she poured herself a glass of iced tea and took it and her knitting out to the porch.

  She now had a piece of knitting long enough to cover a forty-foot fishing boat. Of course, it was only two feet wide, so it would have to be a thin boat. She’d added another foot when the sound of a car pulling up to the curb drew her attention. She glanced out to the street and her knitting slipped from her hands and fell to the floor when she saw Ryker’s slick gray sports car.

  He came back.

  He got out of the car and hesitated when he saw her sitting on the porch. She couldn’t see his eyes beneath the brim of his brand-new straw cowboy hat. But she could feel them. They seemed to burn right through her. He took his time walking up the front path. He stopped at the bottom of the porch steps and took off his hat. When those soulful brown eyes met hers, she forgot to breathe.

  She waited for him to say something, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry. He just stood there looking at her. Which gave her time to look at him. Had it only been a week since she’d seen him? It seemed like an eternity had passed. His wavy hair seemed to have grown—as had his facial hair.

  “You’re growing your beard back,” she said.

  He rubbed his jaw. “Yeah. I felt a little naked without it.” His gaze lifted to her forehead. “You got your stitches out.”

  She self-consciously smoothed her hair over the scar. “The doc said it will look better when the swelling goes down.”

  His eyes met hers. “You look beautiful.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. And no matter how many times she blinked, they just kept coming. He must’ve seen them because he dropped his hat and took the steps in one leap. He took her in his arms and kissed her. All the depression of the last week evaporated beneath his warm lips.

  “Summer,” he muttered against her mouth. “Summer. Summer. Summer.”

  “Ryker,” she answered him as she furrowed her fingers through his thick hair and tugged him closer.

  He slipped his hands to her butt and lifted her to her bare toes. He released her lips and kissed his way down her neck. “I missed you. I missed you so damned much.”

  She tipped her head back to allow him better access. “I missed you too.”

  “How much?” He whispered against her ear. “Show me.”

  She tightened her fingers in his hair and brought his mouth back to hers. Then she proceeded to kiss him with all the emotions that only Ryker seemed to evoke. When she drew back, his eyes were hot and his breath as heavy as hers.

  “Damn.” He lifted her off her feet, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to the door. She helped him by pulling it open, then once inside, held it so Sherlock and Watson could follow. When the dog and cat were safely inside, she let the screen door slam shut and smiled.

  “You think you can make it up the stairs this time?”

  He glanced at the long staircase. “I’m going to give it my best shot.”

  He didn’t falter once going up the stairs with her in his arms. Nor did he stop kissing her. He kissed her lips and her nose and her cheeks and her scar. By the time they reached the top, she was laughing from sheer joy.

  In the guest bedroom, he set her on her feet and slowly proceeded to divest her of her clothing with an unwavering focus that brought chill bumps to her arms and desire swirling through her body. It was like he was methodically unwrapping a cherished present. When she was standing naked in front of him, his gaze ran over her as if she were a rare gift he couldn’t quite believe he’d gotten. No man had ever looked at her with such appreciation before. Ryker looked entranced. Like he never wanted to look away.

  “Summer,” he whispered as he lifted a hand and slowly and reverently traced a path along her cheek, over her chin, down her throat. He pressed his hand over her heart for only a moment before his fingers continued their journey. Along the swell of her breast. Over the crest of her nipple. Down the curve of her waist. Then he slid his hand back up and started all over again.

  She had always thought she knew all her erogenous zones. She was wrong. Ryker found zones she didn’t even know existed. Like the sensitive spot behind her ears. And the inside of her wrists. And the valley of her hipbone.

  He continued to touch her with languid caresses until her body was a quivering mass of sensation. Until her knees turned to melted butter and she fell back on the bed. Then he spread her legs and knelt between them, finding even more sensitive spots with his heated mouth and teasing tongue. The intense climax exploded over her. She had always been the silent partner in sex. But it was hard to be silent when you were experiencing the best orgasm of your life. She moaned and screamed and mumbled incoherent words of praise for his sexual abilities.

  At least, she’d thought they were incoherent. But when she finally opened her eyes and looked at Ryker, his cocky smile said he’d heard every word.

  “Okay, you were amazing,” she said.

  The cocky grin got bigger. “I’ve only just started, sweetheart.” He stood and popped open the snaps on his shirt, revealing his muscled chest and the hard ripples of his stomach. But before he could slip off the shirt, she spoke.

  “I hope you brought a condom this time.”

  The cocky look drained from his face. “Shit!”

  She couldn’t help it. She laughed. She laughed until tears leaked from her eyes and her stomach hurt. When she finally got ahold of herself, she opened her eyes to see Ryker standing next to the bed scowling.

  “I didn’t exactly think I was going to get such a warm reception,” he said. “Especially after the last time I was here, and you referred to our relationship as a situation.”

  She sat up and smiled. “You do have a point. Still, you should always be prepared, Lover Boy.” She got up from the bed and went into Waylon and Spring’s bathroom where she’d seen a box of condoms. When she brought one back to the guest room, Ryker looked more than a little relieved.

  “I hope there’s more where that came from. Because one is not going to be enough.” He pulled her into his arms and whispered against her lips. “Not nearly enough.”

  She had to agree when, only moments later, he slipped deep inside her. One time with Ryker was never going
to be enough. There was a rightness to their fit. Like two spoons nested in a drawer. Two magnets flipped in the right direction. Two perfect cake layers iced together.

  With each slow pull and deep thrust, the fit got better and better. Their fingers linked as their gazes locked. Their breaths mingled as their limbs entwined. Their bodies melded as their hearts synchronized. When they climaxed, they did it as one, taking and giving in equal parts until they were spent.

  Ryker tried to roll off her, but she held tight. “Not yet,” she said against his shoulder. “I don’t want to separate yet.”

  “But I don’t want to crush you.”

  “Crush me,” she said. “I can take it.”

  There was a smile in his voice when he spoke. “Of course you can. You’re the toughest woman I know.” He rolled with her to his back, tucking her close to his chest. Then he smoothed back her hair and traced the line of her scar. “But I never want to crush you, Summer. I want to coddle and care for you and be the man you can lean on.”

  For too long people had expected her to be strong. Her mama thought she was strong enough to take over the role of mother. Her grandmother thought she was strong enough to take over the role of protector. And she had tried to meet those expectations. She had tried to mother and protect her siblings. But occasionally, she just wanted to be the weak one. And no one had ever seen that side of her.

  No one until Ryker.

  Tears welled in her eyes. And this time, she didn’t try to stop them.

  With Ryker, it was safe to let down her guard.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “It’s thundering.”

  Ryker pressed his lips to the top of Summer’s head. “Are you sure? That could just be my heart.”

  She shifted so her ear was over his heart. He loved the feel of her silky hair against his skin and her warm breath as she spoke. “Your heart is thundering, but not quite as loudly as the thunder outside. Which would explain why Sherlock jumped in bed with us.” She reached down and patted the dog’s head, then scratched the ears of the kitten that slept next to him. “And I can’t blame him. I used to be terrified of thunderstorms.”

  He brushed his fingers back and forth on her arm. “I find that hard to believe. I didn’t think you were scared of anything.”

  “I’m scared of a lot of things. I’m just good at hiding it.”

  He knew that about her. She was good at hiding her emotions. Although last night she had shown him her tears and her passion. But he wanted to see more. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her.

  “Like what?” he asked. “What else are you scared of?”

  “Thunderstorms. Bees. Birds.”

  “Birds?”

  “Didn’t you see that old Hitchcock movie? They can break right through a glass phone booth and peck you to death.”

  He laughed. “You hang out in a lot of phone booths, do you?” She playfully swatted his chest, and he caught her hand and kissed the palm. “What else? What else are you afraid of?”

  She was silent for a moment before she answered. “Not succeeding.”

  “At what?”

  “At everything. If I try something, I feel like I need to succeed at it. If I don’t, I’m a failure.” She played with the hair on his chest. “I never want to be a failure like my father. He never succeeded at anything but being a loser.”

  “I get it. I have the same need to succeed, but my need comes from wanting to prove to my father that I could succeed without him. I wanted to shove my success in his face and say ‘See, I didn’t need you.’”

  “Have you said that to him?”

  “No, but I cussed him out and that felt pretty good.”

  She paused. “Don’t get mad at me, but I like your dad.”

  He drew circles on her shoulder. “Yeah. I thought I would completely hate his guts forever. And now I just sorta hate his guts.”

  She lifted her head, and the moonlight shone in her eyes. “Be honest. To begin with, you hated me too.”

  “I never hated you. I feared you. I feared I’d be putty in your hands. And I was right.”

  “You’re putty in my hands?” Her eyes turned sensual. “Then I guess that means I can do whatever I want with you.”

  As the storm thundered outside, inside, Ryker was consumed by his own Summer storm. She took complete control, and he gladly gave it. It wasn’t hard to give his body over to the mind-blowing strokes of her hands and the consuming heat of her mouth. When he was mindless with need, she straddled him and rode him hard and deep—a beautiful whirlwind that had swept into his life and changed it forever. As they reached orgasm together, he knew he’d never feel this way with another woman. He’d never feel the intensity. Or the heat. Or the passion.

  Or the love.

  They finally fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning to the patter of raindrops on the roof. When Ryker woke hours later, the storm had passed, and lemony sunshine spilled across the bed. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked down at the woman cuddled against him. Her head rested on his chest and her arm and leg draped over his body. He couldn’t help but smile. Hardass Summer was a snuggler.

  Unfortunately, he had to go to the bathroom in a bad way, and it wasn’t easy getting out of a bed filled with one clingy woman, a huge snoozing dog, and a little snuggling kitten. He thought he had done a good job of not waking them, but when he came out of the bathroom, all three were wide awake.

  He smiled at the adorable picture Summer presented with her mussed hair and sleepy eyes. “Good morning,” he said.

  She blinked, and her forehead wrinkled in a scowl. “I think you should know that I’m not a morning person. I’m usually grumpy until I’ve had a shower and my first—or probably more like my second—cup of coffee.”

  “Duly noted.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand. “No bright smiles or humorous conversation before your second cup of coffee. What about kisses? Are you okay with kisses?”

  She shook her head. “Not until I brush my teeth.”

  “What if I’m not talking about kissing your lips?”

  A smile flirted with the corners of her mouth. “Then those are okay.” When he reached for the sheet, she stopped him. “Just not this morning. It’s already late, and Waylon and Spring are due home today.” She hesitated. “And I probably need to pack.”

  He straightened, and his smile faded. “Pack?”

  She hesitated. “I’m heading back to Houston tomorrow.”

  He was not happy. He’d hoped that Dirk and her sisters had already talked with her about closing Seasons. Since they hadn’t, it was now up to Ryker. He wasn’t about to let Summer head back to Houston only to find her store closed. Not only because he thought that was a shitty way to find out what her family had done, but also because he didn’t want to let her go. He couldn’t let her go.

  “I know you want to make Seasons a success, Summer,” he said. “But I’m afraid it’s too late for that. The store has already been—”

  Sherlock started barking and lumbered off the bed, cutting Ryker off.

  Summer’s eyes widened. “Crap! It’s Spring and Waylon.” She started to get out of bed when footsteps landed on the stairs. She looked at him with panicked eyes. “Quick! Hide.”

  He jumped up and started for the closet. But before he could reach it, Dirk strode into the bedroom. It was Ryker’s worst nightmare come to fruition. There he stood in the middle of the floor naked as the day he was born while Summer sat in bed with the sheet held to her chin. There was no way in hell to come up with an explanation. If he’d had any doubt about how Dirk would react to him having sex with his sister, it was dispelled immediately.

  “Why you sonofabitch!” Dirk walked over and punched him in the face. It hurt like hell, but since he deserved it, he didn’t fight back. Summer, on the other hand, flew out of bed like an avenging angel with the sheet wrapped around her.

  “Stop it right now, Dirk Hadley! What is the matter with you?
”

  “What’s the matter with me?” Dirk yelled. “I’ll tell you what’s the matter with me. I just had coffee at the diner and found out why Winnie thinks that Autumn should be planning her wedding. It seems she’s pregnant with Ryker’s baby. And when I show up to ask you what the hell is going on, I find you in bed with him.” He turned to Ryker. “You’ve screwed around with both my sisters?”

  Ryker held up his hands. “It’s not what you think, Dirk.”

  Dirk’s eyes narrowed as his fist clenched. “Then what the hell is it?”

  While he was trying to find the words to explain, Dirk lost his patience and hit him again. This time Ryker flew back into the nightstand and knocked the lamp off. It shattered on the floor just as Spring rushed into the room with Waylon right behind her.

  “What in the world is going on?” she asked as Ryker grabbed a pillow off the bed and covered himself.

  Dirk pointed to Ryker. “This asshole has been seducing both our sisters while I was helping him out in Dallas.”

  “I didn’t seduce your sisters, Dirk,” Ryker said. “I didn’t touch Autumn. I swear to God.”

  “Then how did she get pregnant?”

  “Autumn’s pregnant?” Spring looked thoroughly confused. Ryker understood why. This was one thoroughly confusing situation. A situation he did not want to be a part of. Unfortunately, he was right in the middle of it.

  “Autumn is not pregnant,” Summer said. “I thought that I was, but I’m not.”

  Spring stared at her with a hurt expression. “You thought you were pregnant and you didn’t tell me?”

  Dirk glared at Ryker. “My best friend didn’t mention it to me either.”

  Before Ryker could reply to that, Autumn showed up. She took one look at the broken lamp on the floor and completely misunderstood what was going on.

  “I thought we were going to wait and tell Summer about closing the store until we were all together.”